Call for Proposals– 4th National Women in Sustainable Agriculture Conference

Posted on March 21, 2013 by

Here at the VT WAgN office, we are busy helping our mid-west colleagues prepare for the 4th National Women in Sustainable Ag Conference: Cultivating Our Food, Farms and Future. The conference will be held November 6-8, 2013 in Des Moines, IA, hosted by the Women, Food & Agriculture Network.

Women farmers at 2010 WISAC.

Women farmers at 2010 WISAC.

The first ever Women in Sustainable Agriculture Conference, fondly known as WISAC, was held here in Vermont in 2005.  We followed up with another one in 2010, and then the folks at Pennsylvania WAgN took it on, organizing a great conference in 2011.

From the beginning the conference has had a national draw, bringing women from all backgrounds and varying experiences together to network, share and learn from one another.  And let me say, there is nothing like being in a giant room full of women farmers.  The mash up of grit, grace and spunk, as well as knowledge and skill…did I mention intelligence and kindness…and humor and…well, join us at the conference to see for yourself!

Workshop at the 2010 WISAC.

Workshop at the 2010 WISAC.

Right now, the planning team is seeking presenters for the upcoming conference.  You could be one of them!  Presentations are invited in the following tracks:

  • Cultivating our Food/Fiber (production-related topics);
  • Cultivating our Farms (management, human relations and farm transfer topics); and
  • Cultivating our Future (leadership, network development and policy topics).

We are looking for for proposals from farmers, educators, activists and agricultural professionals involved in sustainable agriculture. Women engaged developing healthy, locally based food systems are our target audience.

Farm tour at 2010 WISAC in Vermont.

Farm tour at 2010 WISAC in Vermont.

We anticipate offering a variety of learning opportunities including workshops, discussion panels, and round table sessions. Participatory formats are always encouraged.

Break our your creativity and share your wisdom! And please share with your contacts!

Deadline for submissions is April 30, 2013. To submit a proposals go to http://www.wfan.org/2013_national_conf_proposal_form.html. For more information on the conference and submissions visit http://www.wfan.org/2013_National_Conference.html.

Hope to see you in November!

Posted in Leadership, Resources for Beginning Farmers, Uncategorized, Upcoming events... | Tagged , , ,

What Your Employees Don’t Know Will Hurt Your Business

Posted on March 13, 2013 by

057This time of year many farmers and growers begin prepping for the market season. Before long, customers will be lining up at local farm stands and farmers’ markets ready to buy. Before the cash changes hands, however, many customers are hungry for information.

Getting the seeds started, the labels printed and the displays designed is part of the excitement of direct marketing. But don’t forget the most important investment you can make toward a successful season is a comprehensive training for your employees.

Training the staff who do your selling is critical to developing customer loyalty, increasing the average sale per customer and generating the kind of ‘buzz’ that keeps customers flocking to your stand. So, what should you include in your training sessions?comprehensive training for your employees. Continue reading →

Posted in Marketing, Product handling and quality | Tagged , , , ,

Basic Best Practices for Food Safety in Value-Added Foods

Posted on March 6, 2013 by

Every Vermont food producer that I have talked to wants to produce the safest food possible for their customers and consumers, which is great!  In my previous WAGN blog, and in a recent blog with the Vermont New Farmer Project, I talked about FDA’s proposed rules for the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).  As mentioned in those posts, not all cut producefood producers and processors will be (or currently are) legally required to follow particular regulatory requirements due to their size of operation or the type of products they produce. However, all value-added producers can and should utilize some basic Good Manufacturing Practices, or GMPs, which are basic best practices for food safety.  GMPs are also essential to meeting FDA and USDA food safety requirements, and are a key pre-requisite for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points – or HACCP – programs, which are required for certain food products and by some food buyers.

The key Good Manufacturing Practices and associated programs processors should have in place include the following:

Continue reading →

Posted in General info, Production information | Tagged , ,